Hi, I am 26 yrs. old and I have been house bound for about a year now. I just got these tapes and I am praying that they will help.I have been having panic attacks since I was 18 but I was always functional able to work and live a somewhat normal life.Sometimes I wonder if I will ever get better or will I be like this forever.I have a 9 year old daughter that is the most understanding and loving child I could ask for.I would love to be able to take her shopping or to the movies but im just so scared to leave my comfort zone to make myself try.I hate that I have to depend on my fiance or mom to do all my shopping and take my daughter places she has to go. I want to be able to do those things so bad.I was wanting to know if any of you has been in my shoes and has beaten this.I would love to hear from anybody.

I'm sorry to say that I have not beaten this myself, but I do know it can be done. I have been house bound for the better part of 15 years. I know exactly what you are going through. I have a beautiful 4 year old, and more than anything I would love to take her out and do things. But it's sure hard to do when you are paralyzed with fear.

This program has worked wonders for so many people, and I believe that it can work for you too. I only wished that I discovered it earlier, and maybe I wouldn't be in the bind I am in now.

I wish you all the luck in the world. There is incredible support on this site. And between the program and this board, you can and will do it!

May you find the happiness and tranquility you seek,

Raven

I was headed for being house bound as my safe places became closer and closer to home. When I realized I was scared to go do my shopping and avoided going alone, I knew I had to do something quick. In addition to ordering the program, I immersed myself in my faith. I found bible verses that spoke of God holding my right hand and his ever continuing presence. After meditating on those verses when I would become fearful I would think of Him holding my right hand and being there beside me. With Him being my safe person that was always there any time of day, I began to work up my courage to go other places. I hate going in Walmart and have heard of something to do with their fluorecsent lighting triggering panic attacks and seizures in some people. I am not sure if that is what bothers me there, but I started by going in the store when it wasnt so busy and staying in the outer perimeter of the store so I could exit quickly through the garden center. Each time I would go a little farther and now it rarely bothers me. I still have problems going to places like the symphony or to operas where seating usually makes it difficult to get out easily or it is not proper etiquette at certain times to get up and walk out. I went to one at Christmas and squirmed the entire time, but did make it through. During my roughest times I did find joy and a closeness to my Creator and my Savior that I have never had since then in my life. I miss it and hope to find it again. I guess I was so desperate that I finally gave up and gave it all to Him and that release of knowing that I didnt have to overcome this thing on my own actually was the beginning of my healing. Together we walked through the hardest times. Now I am yet in the middle of another test of life and stress is intense, but this time with the stress I happen to be very busy and dont have the empty hours to devote to meditation to rebuild that close relationship. I struggle by with barely 5 minutes a day devoted to my spiritual health, but yet I take the time to spend a half hour 3 times a day to feed my physical body. What good is your physical body when your spiritual body is wasting away?? I think both are vital in sustaining life and need to be in balance. Life is so much easier when you know you dont have to face your fears alone, including the fears that lie just outside your front door.

jamieo --

While I still have some discomfort, I've come back from agoraphobia. Mine wasn't that bad because through necessity, even at my worst, I *had* to go out to do shopping and basic stuff to care for my kids. I had help, but there were many days that I would sit and what-if a simple trip to the grocery store for hours before I could go.

That's the part that you have to train yourself to work through -- the what-iffing, the anticipatory anxiety.

I recommend these books to everyone -- "Hope & Help For Your Nerves" and "Peace From Nervous Suffering" by Dr. Claire Weekes. The first deals more fully with agoraphobia, the second speaks a bit more to nervous illness in general. The books were published in the early 1970's but are still very applicable today. They're paperback, and around $8 apiece. If you can't find them in your library, amazon.com usually has them in stock. I'd probably start with "Hope & Help For Your Nerves".

My mother had severe agoraphobia when I was little, and recovered using that book. She was, in fact, the one who bought the books for me when I was at my worst.

Keep up hope.

Stacey

i became agoraphobic about a year and a half ago. i NEVER left the house. i would try and have to turn back 2 minutes later. i havent gotten thru the program yet, i got as far as lesson 6, but i can go out so much more now. i used the breathing method and not putting too much pressure on myself to do things and only doing stuff that i wanted to do. what i told myself that helped me was that it doesnt have to be all or nothing. which is how i always went about things. if u get thru the first four weeks, im sure it'll be easier for u to get out. you'll learn not to give your mind room to think about all the negatives. it worked for me and now i can go out further and for longer periods of time than i have in over a year and i dont even think about any kind of anxiety.

I was also housebound about 1 1/2 years ago. I was housebound for about 2 weeks. I was barely functioning. After having my first panick attack while driving home one day from work...I ended up in a woman's front yard where I nearly passed out and an ambulance was called that took me to the nearest ER. My attack was so bad that I thought I was having a stroke. My hands and fingers kinked up on me and I lost my speach for a couple of minutes. The ER Doctor told me that I needed to learn how to deal with the stress in my life better and that I had a panick attack. She gave me a prescription for Xanax. Shortly after my attack I saw the commercial and ordered this program which DOES WORK. I also saw my doctor who put me on Zoloft to help take the edge off...I was only on the Zoloft for about 2 months. The last thing I did was I found myself a very good counselor. This program DOES work and it IS possible to overcome this.

To everyone who posted in this thread...

Are you all working with the program? I would like to do some follow up study... Interested: carolyn@stresscenter.com

Carolyn Dickman, Ed.Dir.

This website may help you set goals and help you to manage baby steps to reach those goals.

http://www.paniccure.com/Overcoming_Agoraphobia/Overcoming_Agoraphobia.htm

I also recommend Dr. Claire Weekes books "hope and help for your nerves" and "peace from nervous suffering".

Hi,

I know how it feels to be house bound because i was for about a week. i know that i nothing compared to some of you but it does help me to understand soemwhat what you are going through.
First i started walking around the block and trusting others to bring me around. i know this program doesn't call for you to use pills but in my case it made a world of a difference. I hae been seriously dealing with panic attack for a year. I also see a doctor every month for mental health. I used the tapes and it helped. recently i have been feeling all the sympton again. can anyone relate?